Ep. 6: Jonathan Adler

JONATHAN ADLER! YAY! We were so excited to talk to the potter and home decor mogul about life, love, and (irreverent) luxury.

In this episode, he reveals how he found refuge from a tortured adolescence in clay and the potter’s wheel, and how getting out from behind the wheel engendered a personal creative explosion. Plus, he drops some serious knowledge bombs on us!

Jonathan Adler portrait by Todd Tankersley

I got fired from four jobs in a row because I was terrible at being an adult.
— Jonathan Adler

Since launching his namesake brand, Jonathan Adler, he's opened 29 stores and designed thousands of products, some you will probably recognize, specifically his signature pottery, which started it all.

I told my parents, ‘I think I want to open a store.’ And they both said that’s a terrible idea, don’t do it, whatever you do, don’t do that. And I thought: bingo this is it.
— Jonathan Adler

A selection of Jonathan's signature pottery

Vice collection

He shares with us the origin of his very first store in Soho, which he believes was a turning point in his career.

Geo Needlepoint pillow collection

A young, clay-spattered Jonathan at the potter's wheel.

We also get the story behind the design of the iconic Parker Palm Springs

Parker Palm Springs

Parker Palm Springs

And, even after becoming a design mogul, he still throws pots. Watch Jonathan in action right here!

Jonathan and his partner, Simon Doonan, and their dog FoxyLady.

Shop Jonathan Adler's products and learn more about his empire at jonathanadler.com

Follow him on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.

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Special thanks to Chris Modl of Yore Studio for editing this episode.
Music in this episode courtesy of
El Ten Eleven—hear more on Bandcamp.
Shoutout to
Jenny Rask for designing the Clever logo.


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Ep. 7: Terry Crews

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Ep. 5: Rebecca Finell